New England Patriots: 4 player grades from Preseason Week 2
QB #10. New England Patriots. JIMMY GAROPPOLO. C. 15/23, 145 yards, one touchdown, one interception, one fumble.
It was an off night for backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on Saturday. Despite throwing seven straight completions for 70 yards and a score to open the fourth quarter, Garoppolo’s night ended with an ugly interception on the opening play of the next drive. Prior to the pick, Garoppolo was hammered by Texans linebacker Tony Washington, resulting in a lost fumble.
While the fourth-year passer’s struggles could be chalked up to New England’s ragtag second-team offensive line, Doug Kyed provided more context to Garoppolo’s eight incomplete passes.
Of the eight incompletions, four were overthrown (one resulting in the interception), two were dropped, one was broken up, and one was out of bounds.
Evan Lazar pointed out that Garoppolo finished 2-for-6 on passes over 10-yards, and 0-for-3 on passes over 20-yards. This, too, could be the product of Garropolo having a lack of trust in the second-team offensive line. With pressure coming constantly, he didn’t have time to settle into his throws.
Next: Takeaways from Preseason Week 2
Through two preseason games, Garoppolo is 37 of 51 for 380 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Second in the league in completions and touchdowns, and third in passing yards. Though he’s had his ups and downs throughout the summer, Garoppolo is still a premium second-stringer.